Director of Football

[LondonBlade89]

Seems as though this could well be one of the biggest sticking points for Wilder. As well as being keen to keep hold of the bulk of the squad, Wilder doesn't appear fond of the Prince's plans to bring in a DoF to look after recruitment. What does everyone on here think?

Tried to cover all bases, but inevitably I'll have missed several, so if you click "other", specify your view.

 

[Danetheblade]

Seems as though this could well be one of the biggest sticking points for Wilder. As well as being keen to keep hold of the bulk of the squad, Wilder doesn't appear fond of the Prince's plans to bring in a DoF to look after recruitment. What does everyone on here think?

Tried to cover all bases, but inevitably I'll have missed several, so if you click "other", specify your view.

Voted for the top one. Wilder needs to accept the recruitment was abysmal this season. He can't run every aspect of the club, and he isn't bigger than the club itself. The credit he had is dwindling after this season, so I'd like to see a dof come in, and if wilder gets pissy then so be it. It's for the benefit of the club, not the manager.

 

[Gin&Juice]

I'd rather we have/ or improve a transfer committee, with an eye on foreign players as well as domestic ones. I feel if we go down a DOF route solely it gets messy & Wilder will inevitably walk. Villa last season struggled because half their signings were done through a DOF and half were done through Smith, so the balance was always going to be an issue. This is again something we need to be wary of.

Manager needs the final say, and I feel that's Wilder's downfall in this. We're currently focusing on an inflated-cost and a small pool of players.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Truthfully, l don't know. I'd like to see Wilder continue next season but this years Tufty is very different from previous years. He's up there with Gentleman John Harris and Dave Basset for me, but look what the financial pressure eventually did to Harry while he was here. He'd lost the plot at the end. I hope Tufty doesn't go the same way.

 

[Yogi]

The thing about a DOF it doesn’t improve your odds of having good recruitment it just takes the ultimate responsibility for running the club out of one persons hands and transfers it into another’s with a different job title it’s the same as changing manager.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Other. Yes it's needed but the club and especially the support will rip itself apart if Wilder leaves. They need to figure out a way to have more qualified people involved in decisions

 

[pommpey]

You left out:

Yes. On evidence, scouting and recruiting is not one of Wilder's strong points, so we need a proven network and evaluation structure which buys the right players who can do the job at (hopefully) Premier League level

Not sure if this needs a DoF or not. To be honest, I doubt Wilder would appreciate a DoF anyway, as he seems a single-minded individual who would see another layer of bureaucracy as unnecessary.

But there are three facts which piss in his chipbag on that:

a. His signings have been a manifest waste of club resources in that they have made zero effect on improvement, if anything, they have made the club worse

b. He still thinks 5-3-2 is a winning formula

c. We are relegated, almost exclusively because of a. and b.

pommpey

 

[Chingo]

I take it from the options that you are not happy with the recruitment this season , how about an option that just says no I don’t want a DoF ?

 

[Snowflake]

D of F is a wide job title and we don’t know what it would entail here or at any specific club.
Similarly its success is based on the successful applicant’s ability
For anyone to say we should have one without knowing the remit is just hot air

 

[nopigfansintown]

My opinion isn't really covered by the above options. United have already got a transfer committee that can outflank Wilder with the likes of Mitchell, Van Winkel and others sat upon it, including a majority of the Prince's men. Wilder was quite right to underline this the other day when he was discussing Brewster. All the successes and failures are as a result of this committee; not just Wilder or Knill. So what would really change with a Director of football is the obvious question? Instead of the technical board cooperating with the first team management, Wilder and Knill would be defenestrated and a quasi democratic system that includes them would be replaced by an autocratic Director of Football appointed by the Prince or his representatives. Wilder would become a glorified trainer and motivator and be relieved of oversight on transfers, squad building and to an extent tactics (he isn't building the squad so can't determine which players are brought in - obviously impacting the tactical approach).

Why anyone would want to abolish a largely successful, chamber of debate to install a potentially incompatible autocratic overseer is beyond me. This system is used as a catch all for success, but it fails many more times than it succeeds. I see nothing that a director of football could bring that doesn't already exist or can't be incorporated into the current structure.

 

[Chingo]

When you think DoF you think David Pleat and Bobby Gould ... fck that !

 

[Stevo]

Can't we just nab Brentford's head of player recruitment

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

I voted "OTHER" .

I think we need some additional input regarding transfers,because Wilder's choices are often wrong or dont workout.

The DOF needs to be a person that Wilder respects and would be happy to work with ,not someone installed by the owners to completely stiffle Wilders overall management.

 

[JJBlade]

Who we going to get ?
Seriously?
Dave Bassett ?

The director of football will have the same problem as the team manager

We won't pay the salary to make ourselves a competitive or attractive proposition for players, so what good will it do ?

 

[jono_t2000]

Voted top one, only because if he walks solely on the basis that he doesn't want a Director of Football... then he obviously thinks he is bigger than the club, which of course no one is.

 

[Chingo]

Who we going to get ?
Seriously?
Dave Bassett ?

The director of football will have the same problem as the team manager

We won't pay the salary to make ourselves a competitive or attractive proposition for players, so what good will it do ?

Exactly!
They won’t give DoF more money so the standard he would be buying would be similar !

everyone is having a pop at wilder about his dealings in the transfer market but imo if we sold the lot now we would be in profit !

 

[jono_t2000]

Exactly!
They won’t give DoF more money so the standard he would be buying would be similar !

everyone is have a pop at wilder about his dealings in the transfer market but imo if we sold the lot now we would be in profit !

I think the Director of Football purpose is to go down the European route, rather than the Championship route which likely cost less in transfer fee and almost certainly less in wages.

 

[Chingo]

I think the Director of Football purpose is to go down the European route, rather than the Championship route which likely cost less in transfer fee and almost certainly less in wages.

Have you not seen Fulham’s wage bill ?
They are made up of the type of players you are on about !

 

[Fulwood Blade]

There's enough posters on here who are concerned about the big singings we've made.

Just because CW and the other management team have been successful a number of times outside the Premier league doesn't mean to say that their policy will work in the premier league.

Recruitment of the expensive players have contributed as well as numerous other factors to us being rock bottom of the premier league.

For sure we may see fruits of the younger, expensive recruitments come good in a few years - but WHO are we making them good for? Us or some big six side?

Bottom line for me is that help is needed - but that help has to be in conjunction with the HEAD COACH which is what CW would become. It simply is what happens at the top level of football. CW will possibly get himself a dinosaur tag along with people like Alardyce/Pulis if he isn't careful.

If he wants to manage at the top level AND stay at the top level - it isn't going to happen unless he amends his thoughts about "having my fingers in every part of the club".

He could easily leave for lets say Sunderland - but the same would happen - he creates a quick dynasty then Premier league issues take over and goodbye CW.

He should ask himself some serious questions about what he wants to do and where he wants to go - there are not many who would pamper to his thoughts in the premier league - and as the PL goes more and more global, as well as the Championship too, there may not be many clubs willing to put up with an emotional manager.

Message to CW - stay and build a second team at BDTBL - but do it slightly differently next time.

UTB

PS: Message to the prince and Bettis and in support of CW - get the fucking 1st team training facility BUILT !!!!!!

 

[Nine Inch Nalis]

No, it's an inherently dumb job title.

 

[LondonBlade89]

I take it from the options that you are not happy with the recruitment this season , how about an option that just says no I don’t want a DoF ?

The DoF is supposedly specifically to help recruitment, hence the options. I'd hoped that the "I'd be suspicious" option would be close enough to simply a "I don't want a DoF", but not sure you can please everyone.

 

[LondonBlade89]

You left out:

Yes. On evidence, scouting and recruiting is not one of Wilder's strong points, so we need a proven network and evaluation structure which buys the right players who can do the job at (hopefully) Premier League level

Not sure if this needs a DoF or not. To be honest, I doubt Wilder would appreciate a DoF anyway, as he seems a single-minded individual who would see another layer of bureaucracy as unnecessary.

But there are three facts which piss in his chipbag on that:

a. His signings have been a manifest waste of club resources in that they have made zero effect on improvement, if anything, they have made the club worse

b. He still thinks 5-3-2 is a winning formula

c. We are relegated, almost exclusively because of a. and b.

pommpey

I've given options of basically "yes we need a DoF to help recruitment" and "no we don't need a DoF but we do need better recruitment" ... surely that covers your point? I suppose I could've added "don't know ... but we need better recruitment".

 

[Chingo]

The DoF is supposedly specifically to help recruitment, hence the options. I'd hoped that the "I'd be suspicious" option would be close enough to simply a "I don't want a DoF", but not sure you can please everyone.

Maybe but if we did get one I wouldn’t be suspicious until he/she did something to be suspicious about

 

[LondonBlade89]

D of F is a wide job title and we don’t know what it would entail here or at any specific club.
Similarly its success is based on the successful applicant’s ability
For anyone to say we should have one without knowing the remit is just hot air

The question is based on reports that the Prince wants to get a Director of Football in specifically to help with recruitment. I realise it's totally hypothetical, but I just thought it was an interesting discussion to have.

 

[Chingo]

The question is based on reports that the Prince wants to get a Director of Football in specifically to help with recruitment. I realise it's totally hypothetical, but I just thought it was an interesting discussion to have.

In light of recent reports it definitely is worth discussing.
I don’t want one Chris has got more right than wrong and of the ones he has got wrong in previous seasons we have not taken a big hit when we have shipped them out ... but can see why some would want one.
Is there any names out there for the role apart from Van Winkle ... and what has he ever done ?

 

[Aston max]

I honestly couldn't recommend anyone with out us having to pay a fortune in salaries, who is there that has contacts in European and international leagues and can truly dig out the diamonds

 

[Yogi]

I honestly couldn't recommend anyone with out us having to pay a fortune in salaries, who is there that has contacts in European and international leagues and can truly dig out the diamonds

The only one who stands out is Stuart Webber at Norwich who has said he’s moving on at the end of this year because he wants a new challenge. But and it’s a big but he’s had two championship jobs with Norwich and Huddersfield now and will have achieved 3 promotions I highly doubt that new challenge will be another retread in the championship I expect him to go abroad because if he wanted a prem job he’d stay at Norwich.

 

[LondonBlade89]

In light of recent reports it definitely is worth discussing.
I don’t want one Chris has got more right than wrong and of the ones he has got wrong in previous seasons we have not taken a big hit when we have shipped them out ... but can see why some would want one.
Is there any names out there for the role apart from Van Winkle ... and what has he ever done ?

I think it's tricky, and pommpey's post touched on this too. Wilder has been such a success for us, I'm inclined to listen to what he wants. But on the evidence so far, I'm not convinced we currently have what we need in place in order to recruit in a way that will establish us as a Premier League club. I don't think Wilder is a poor recruiter, but I believe he's fishing in a small pond (the UK), in which we're now at a level where the best players in that pool are out of our reach financially.

We need to find a way of expanding our scouting network so we're not just signing the best players from the Championship. For me, that's the bottom line. That might be possible if we had the cash, but we don't, and I suspect the Prince believes you can get better value elsewhere. Right now it seems the answer to that is "get a director of football" ... but surely there's an alternative?

 

[nopigfansintown]

You should be as suspicious of a DOF as any manager. For this to work you effectively have to have to successfully appoint two managers. They both have to be successful as individuals, compatible and be capable of working symbiotically. They'll also both draw a wage. They are also, by necessity, liable to pass the book on to each other if/when things go wrong to save their own skin. Sold yet?

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Who‘s to say that a director of football would be any better at recruitment than Wilder. It would be his choice of player over Wilders. Too many cooks for me.